The Green Bay Packers have officially started thinking about the 2024 season. On Monday, general manager Brian Gutekunst signed 14 players who finished the season on the practice squad to future deals. That means these players will be under contract starting in March, when the new league year begins.

This is the list of signed players: edge Keshawn Banks, safety Tyler Coyle, wide receiver Grant DuBose, defensive tackle Jonathan Ford, cornerback Zyon Gilbert, cornerback Anthony Johnson, quarterback Alex McGough, running back Ellis Merriweather, edge Arron Mosby, edge Kenneth Odumegwu, fullback Henry Pearson, wide receiver Thyrick Pitts, tackle Kadeem Telfort, and tight end Joel Wilson.

Who got playing time

The only of these players who actually played regular season snaps for the Packers in 2023 was fullback/tight end hybrid Henry Pearson, who appeared in two games with 11 snaps on offense and 23 on special teams. With Josiah Deguara slated to be an unrestricted free agent, Pearson has a real shot to have a role in 2024.

Wide receiver Grant DuBose was elevated for gameday for the week 18 game against the Chicago Bears, but was inactive after all.

Another interesting name is quarterback Alex McGough, who was the USFL most valuable player in 2023 and signed with the Packers in July. He also spent the entire season on the team’s practice squad as QB3, behind Jordan Love and Sean Clifford.

Roster impact

The only players that were on the practice squad and haven't been signed were veteran punter Pat O'Donnell, cornerback David Long, and defensive lineman Chris Slayton.

All these signings will cost the Packers $5.25 million on their top-51 salary cap. During the offseason and preseason, teams can have 90 players on the roster, but only the 51-highest paid players count towards the salary cap — this is a mechanism created by the NFL to allow teams to have a complete 90-man roster.

Last week, the Packers had already signed three players to future deals: edges Deslin Alexandre and Deandre Johnson, plus linebacker Christian Young.

With those signings, the Packers already have 59 players under contract for 2024.

Three others are basically locks to return as well. Punter Daniel Whelan, running back Emanuel Wilson, and offensive tackle Caleb Jones are exclusive-rights free agents, which means Green Bay can keep them for a minimum salary by placing an ERFA tender.

General manager Brian Gutekunst is also slated to have 11 picks in this year's draft — six original selections (excluding the fifth-round pick, sent to the Buffalo Bills in the Rasul Douglas' trade), two extra selections acquired in trades (the New York Jets' second-rounder for Aaron Rodgers and the Bills' third-rounder for Rasul), plus three projected compensatory picks for the free agent losses of Allen Lazard, Jarran Reed, and Dean Lowry.

Packers 2024 offseason guide: free agents, draft, big decisions

Young team is set for a new window